Comparison of the effectiveness of treatment of focused emotional couples and imago couples therapy on individual adjustment in couples (in the first years)

Abstract

Background: Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused couple therapy and imagotherapy on couple intimacy, quality of relationships, and marital conflict. But research comparing the effects of emotionally-focused couple therapy and imagotherapy on individual adjustment in couples has remained neglected.Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of emotion-focused couple therapy and imagotherapy on the personal adjustment of couples in the early years of marriage. Method: This was a quasi-experimental study with two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of maladaptive couples referring to neighborhood health and counseling centers in Tehran (1, 8) districts in 2016. Twenty-four couples were selected by voluntary sampling. They were randomly divided into two groups of experimental and control (12 couples). Research instruments were: Emotional Couple Therapy Sessions (Johnson, 2004), Imagotherapy Sessions (Hendrix, 2004), and Bell's Compatibility Questionnaire (1961). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: Both Emotional Coupling Therapy and Imagotherapy had a significant effect on couple's personal adjustment (p< 0/001). Conclusions: Imagotherapy and couple therapy had an effect on couple's personal adjustment and increased couple's personal adjustment.

Keywords

• emotional couple therapy
• imagotherapy couple therapy
• individual adaptation
• couples